Federal government halts sale of decommissioned RCMP cruisers in wake of N.S. shooting
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More than nine months after a gunman rampaged through Nova Scotia in a mock-up RCMP cruiser and killed 22 people, the federal government has announced a “moratorium” on the sale of decommissioned RCMP cruisers.
“The RCMP has a resale process for vehicles it no longer needs that ensures they cannot easily be misused for criminal purposes,” said Public Safety Minister Bill Blair in a statement on Friday.
“We are suspending the sale of decommissioned RCMP vehicles on an interim basis to ensure that this process remains appropriate and robust.”
Read more: Nova Scotia may look at tightening laws around police impersonation
The gunman of the Nova Scotia shooting was driving a vehicle, decorated with decals and lights, that made it look like an RCMP cruiser.
The vehicle — and a realistic-looking RCMP uniform — would help him evade police over 13 hours on April 18 and 19 as he killed 22 people, including an RCMP Const. Heidi Stevenson.
More recently, a 23-year-old man from Antigonish, N.S., was arrested this week for driving what appeared to look like an unmarked police vehicle and allegedly pulling over other vehicles.
Read more: Antigonish RCMP arrests man for impersonating a police officer, using unmarked police vehicle
It raised the uncomfortable spectre of the shooting with Nova Scotia Justice Minister Mark Furey confirming on Thursday that the province has drafted legislation that would make it more difficult for buyers to impersonate an officer using a decommissioned police vehicle.
That legislation, expected to be brought forward when the legislature resumes mid-February, would not ban the sale of used police vehicles, but create tighter restrictions around the removal of police identifiers, such as sirens, push bars, LED lights and decals.
Video: Timeline of RCMP communication with Truro police during N.S. shooting
Under the Criminal Code, it is an offence for people to “falsely represent” themselves as police officers.
It’s also a crime when someone uses police equipment, such as a badge, vehicle or article of clothing, in a way that would lead people to believe the person is a police officer.
However, it is not illegal to possess or own police vehicles, with companies using decommissioned vehicles for TV shows and movies or even collecting them.
Read more: How a real uniform and replica police car helped the Nova Scotia gunman go undetected
In the statement issued Friday, Blair did not seem to indicate that the federal government was willing to criminalize the possession of police uniforms.
“During this moratorium, the Government of Canada and the RCMP will examine the policies that are currently in place and work towards long-term solutions that further ensure these vehicles are not improperly outfitted or otherwise misused,” he said.
“It remains illegal to impersonate a police officer and we will take every step possible to prevent such crimes from taking place.”